Magnetically attached baseball base

ABSTRACT

A first member is anchored in the ground and has a top flat surface mounted flush with the ground surface. A second member which serves as the base is resilient and has a bottom surface adapted to seat on the first member. Magnets and magnetically attracting plates are mounted in the two members to hold the latter together under normal playing conditions but to allow separation thereof under unusual conditions, Rib and groove means may also be employed to assist the magnet holding portion.

tlited States Patet 1 Selliken 1 Jan. 28, 1975 MAGNETICALLY ATTACHED BASEBALL Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle BASE Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown [76] mentor: Conrad J. Semken' P. 0- BOX Attorney, Age/11,1 Firm-Eugenc M. Eckelmzm 23114. Portland. Oreg. 97233 22 Filed: Jan. 2, 1974 [57*] ABSTRAFT A hrst member IS anchored in the ground and has a PP 429,892 top flat surface mounted flush with the ground surface. A second member which serves as the base is re- 52 us. Cl. 273/25 Siliem and has a bottom Surface adapted to the 511 1m.c| A63b 71/00 first member Magnets and magnetically attracting [58] Field of Search 273/25, 1 M; 46/24] Plates are mumed the members hold the latter together under normal playing conditions but to [56] References Cited allow separation thereof under unusual conditions,

Rib and groove means may also be employed to assist the magnet holding portion.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures l MAGNETICALLY ATTACHED BASEBALL BASE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This" invention relates to new and useful improvements in baseball bases.

A principal purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved baseball base having considerable advantages over conventional bases. It is generally well known that there are many injuries each year in baseball caused when the player slides into a base, particularly when the base is so rigidly implanted and fastened to the ground that when improperly contacted by the baseball player, he maysuffer a broken ankle, broken leg or torn tendons. While such misfortunes occur a great deal among younger players, the same is also known to happen in the major leagues.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly it isv an object of the present invention to provide an approved baseball base comprised of a stationary member located below the ground level, and another member positioned thereupon, the upper member being able to break away from the lower member upon violent impact therewith by a baseball player so as to practically eliminate the possibility of injury to the players.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a baseball base wherein the surface member is detachably secured to the sunken member by means of magnetic means so that the surface member may quickly and easily be automatically detached when a player violently moves thereagainst.

Still another purpose of the present invention is to provide an approved baseball base wherein the surface member may comprise an inflated shell portion which will tear upon violent impact with the player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention shown in use upon a baseball diamond;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and showing in phantom lines the upper surface being disturbed from its normal position over the sunken member upon violent impact with it;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the members and illustrating the magnets, locator groove and ribs of interfitting parts;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of FIG. 3 and showing the locator rib within the groove;

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified design of the present invention shown partly in cross section and wherein the upper member is made of flexible inflatable material so that it allows cushioning effect when a player strikes thereagainst;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary magnet structure shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view generally similar to FIG. 6 but showing the surface member in a dislodged position; and

FIG. 8 is a view generally similar to FIG. 2 and showing a modified anchor construction for the sunken member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawing, the reference numeral 10 represents a baseball base acdetail view of the cording to the present invention wherein there is employed a sunken or below ground member II and a surface or above ground resilient member I2. the sunken member being fixedly positioned within the ground while the surface member can be readily dislodged from thereabove, particularly during a violent movement thereagainst by a baseball player.

The sunken member 11 is of generally T-shaped configuration as shown in FIG. 2 and includes a square topped plate 13 and an anchor foot 13a which is a few inches square. The upper surface of plate 13 when the member 11 is installed is flush with the ground surface 14 or slightly below. Near each corner of the plate 13, there is embedded a permanent magnet 15 as shown in FIG. 3. Additionally an upwardly extending X-shaped rib 16 is formed in the upper surface of the plate 13 for the purpose of physically engaging and locating the surface member 12.

The surface member 12 has an underside 17 of gen erally square configuration and of a like size as the plate 13. Near each corner thereof a magnetic responsive plate such as steel is embedded within the surface of the bottom as shown at 18, the plates 18 being positioned so as to engage the magnets 15 in the installed position of the surface member. The underside of the surface member is also provided with an X-shaped groove 19 arranged to receive therein the X-shaped rib 16 of the below ground member. It is to be understood that both the surface member and sunken member may be made of non-metalic material so that the same do not interfere with the operation of the magnets 15 used for attracting the steel inserts 18.

In operative use, the surface member is simply placed above the member II and moved until the rib fits within the groove 19 and the magnets I5 engage the steel plates 18 as shown in FIG. 2. In operative use, in case a baseball player 20 slides toward the base as shown in FIG. 2, the surface member will slide away from its position over the sunken member due to the force of the player, the rib l6 disengaging from the groove 19 and themagnets I5 disengaging from the steel plates 18. Thus the player is not likely to hurt himself, and after the play the surface member can quickly and easily be properly relocated above the sunken member.

In FIG. 5 of the drawing, a modified form of improved base 21 is shown. In this form, the sunken member 22 has corner magnets 23 with an upper rounded surface. These magnets are slidably mounted within pockets 24 so that they can move upwardly due to magnetic force to contact steel blocks 25, shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7, embedded in surface member 26. The lower edges of the blocks 25 are located slightly above the bottom of the surface member'26, and openings 27 lead from such blocks to the bottom of member 26. The magnets 24 can enter respective openings 27 in their slidable mounting in the sunken member 22 in the installed position of the surface member 21 and serve to physically as well as magnetically hold the surface member over the sunken member. In the event the surface member is forcibly engaged by a runner, the magnets will be forced downwardly due to the rounded corners thereof and the surface member 21 can dislodge. In this form of the invention, it is to be understood that non-magnetic materials are used in the construction of the sunken member 22 so that when the blocks 25 of the surface memberare displaced, there are no interfering forces.

In the structure of FIG. 5, the surface member may have an air pocket 26a for resiliency and in addition the defining walls of the'pocket may be tearable so as to tear under highly unusual force conditions.

In Flg. 8 a further modified form of the invention is shown wherein the sunken member 29 includes an outward extending peripheral flange 30 instead of a foot as shown in FIG. 2.

Thus there is provided an improved baseball base which will dislodge when hit forcefully so that a player is not likely to hurt himself. Under normal play, the surface member will remain in play and will be dislodged only in circumstances where it is hit hard enough to otherwise cause injury. The surface member is readily installed by placing it over the sunken member to align the magnets with their metal attracting members, and in the embodiment of FIG. 1, to align ribs 16 with grooves 19. I

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herein shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various other changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A baseball base comprising a. a first member having a top plate,

b. means depending from said top plate arranged to anchor said plate in base position with the upper surface thereof substantially flush with the ground,

c. a second member having a size and shape substantially corresponding to that of the usual baseball base portion,

d. said second member having a bottom surface arranged to overlie the upper surface of said first member in its installed base position,

e. and magnetic holding means in the upper surface of said first member and the bottom surface of said second member arranged to normally hold said two members together but to allow them to separate under unusual'force conditions.

2. The baseball base of claim 1 wherein said magnetic holding means comprises permanent magnets in one of said members and magnetically attracting plates in the other member.

3. The baseball base of claim 2 wherein said permanent magnets have slidable mounting vertically in said first member and are arranged to project above the upper surface of said first member, the bottom of said second member having apertures aligned with said magnets in the installed position of the second member, and magnetically attracting plates in said apertures disposed above the bottom of said second member whereby in the installed position of the second member, said magnets project upwardly in said apertures into engagement with said plates to provide lateral holding of the two members in addition to the magnetic forces.

4. The baseball base of claim 1 including engaging rib and groove means in the upper surface of said first member and the bottom surface of said second member to assist the magnetic holding means in holding the two members together under usual conditions.

5. The baseball base of claim 1 wherein said second member is air cushioned. 

1. A baseball base comprising a. a first member having a top plate, b. means depending from said top plate arranged to anchor said plate in base position with the upper surface thereof substantially flush with the ground, c. a second member having a size and shape substantially corresponding to that of the usual baseball base portion, d. said second member having a bottom surface arranged to overlie the upper surface of said first member in its installed base position, e. and magnetic holding means in the upper surface of said first member and the bottom surface of said second member arranged to normally hold said two members together but to allow them to separate under unusual force conditions.
 2. The baseball base of claim 1 wherein said magnetic holding means comprises permanent magnets in one of said members and magnetically attracting plates in the other member.
 3. The baseball base of claim 2 wherein said permanent magnets have slidable mounting vertically in said first member and are arranged to project above the upper surface of said first member, the bottom of said second member having apertures aligned with said magnets in the installed position of the second member, and magnetically attracting plates in said apertures disposed above the bottom of said second member whereby in the installed position of the second member, said magnets project upwardly in said apertures into engagement with said plates to provide lateral holding of the two members in addition to the magnetic forces.
 4. The baseball base of claim 1 including engaging rib and groove means in the upper surface of said first member and the bottom surface of said second member to assist the magnetic holding means in holding the two members together under usual conditions.
 5. The baseball base of claim 1 wherein said second member is air cushioned. 